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Clear and concise, this pocket-sized introduction to photography is perfect for the general reader and student, covering key trends and movements from the nineteenth century to the present day.

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Isms: Understanding Photography packs an enormous amount of detail into a handy, attractive guide tracing the evolution of photography through a series of interconnected trends, groups, themes and movements - from the invention of the photographic process to the post-internet age. Organised chronologically, this is a uniquely international, comprehensive guide to photography with concise, readable and jargon-free but scholarly insight into major photographers, movements and themes of the past 170 years.
In an age where photography is of more resonance and interest than ever before, Isms: Understanding Photography offers an in-depth and clear exposition of photography for the interested general reader or student.

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Introduction
How to Use this Book

Section 1: The Invention of Photography & the Recording of the World: 1826-1910s

Section 2: Into the Modern: 1850s-1930s

Section 3: Society & Humanity: 1930s-70s

Section 4: The Postmodern: 1950s-90s

Section 5: Contemporary Photography: 1980s-

List of Photographers
Chronology of Isms
Glossary of Useful Terms
List of Collections
Photographic Credits

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This easy-to-use reference book is an introduction to the history of photography through art-historical categories ... An interesting and well-presented work. Royal Photographic Society Journal

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Emma Lewis is Assistant Curator at Tate Modern, London, UK, where she has worked on photographic acquisitions, curated collection displays - including Italian Modernist Photography (2014) and Otto Steinert (2015) - and is currently researching a major monographic photography exhibition opening in Spring 2017. Prior to joining Tate, she managed the archive of late photographer Terence Donovan and spent three years in the Department of Photographs at Phillips, London. Emma contributes to Photomonitor and Tate ETC. and has written catalogue essays for a number of artists and photographers.

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